inheritancefandomcom-20200222-history
Elf
Elves were a race of beings who migrated to Alagaësia in the distant past; the exact date is unknown. Humanoid in appearance, they had noticeably angular features, slanting eyebrows, and pointed ears; they were generally tall and slim, and were, according to legend, the fairest people of the land, partly because of physical transformation (and were thus called the Fair Folk). More elves were greatly gifted with magic than the other races, and had an innate knowledge of their true names. History Origins and Du Fyrn Skulblaka The elves originally inhabited the country of Alalëa, but eventually crossed the sea in their silver ships, seeking new lands to settle. When they first arrived in Alagaësia, they viewed the dragons as mere animals; a grave mistake, for when a rash elven youth tracked and killed a dragon as he would a deer, it sparked a terrible war between the two races. The war lasted many years; though the elves repeatedly attempted to alleviate the misunderstanding, they had no way of communicating with the dragons, until an elf named Eragon found an abandoned dragon egg, and raised the dragon that hatched from it as his own. When the dragon, named Bid'Daum, was strong enough to support his weight, Eragon acted as an intermediary between the two races, and came to be known as a Shur'tugal, or Dragon Rider. As a result of the pair's peacemaking work, which resulted in a permanent pact between elf and dragon, it was decided to establish the order of the Dragon Riders to maintain stability in Alagaësia. One theory suggests that the elves were originally human, and gained their immortality and magical power from the bond with the dragons much as human Riders do. It is not clear, however, how the effects of a bond with the dragons influenced all the elves rather than just those of them that bonded with a dragon. Though even if the elves were human then even the current human race would have been altered as much. In Eldest Oromis says that the human race was being "changed" by the magic that links the races together making them more calm and artistic. One reason the bond with dragons effects everyone of the races could be because in the spell that binds the races it is just that, a spell that binds the races, not just the rider and dragon. The Era of the Dragon Riders The new found link between the races was mutually beneficial; it granted the dragons the gift of speech, and elves the gift of immortality. After the war was over, elves started obsessing over dragons and loving them much more than anyone else, save the dragon's rider. Later, Anurin, head of the Riders decided to include humans into the pact with the dragons, even though Dellanir, the elf queen, did not approve of it. She kicked the riders out of Du Weldenvarden, then later let them back in. Each human Rider, over the course of time, became more elf-like in appearance, in addition to gaining immortal life. The elves faced great devastation during the war with Galbatorix, during which Vrael was slain and the last three dragon eggs were lost. Following the calamity, the elves effectively withdrew from contact with the outside world, settling deep into the Du Weldenvarden forest, in their woodland capital city of Ellesméra. The magic between dragon and rider makes the riderhe/she is humanhave pointed ears just like the elves. Afterward One of the few elves to venture beyond the borders of Du Weldenvarden was Arya, and she earned the disfavor of her mother, Queen Islanzadí, by doing so. Arya, along with her guardians Fäolin and Glenwing, became the courier of the one dragon egg that had been recovered by Brom and Jeod, and spent many years transporting the egg back and forth between Osilon and Farthen Dûr. Through Arya's actions, the elves maintained an alliance with the Varden, while not openly supporting it. Culture Both men and women had equal rights in elvish society; both could be warriors and leaders. There have been both male and female monarchs. Elves did not follow any form of religion; strict agnostics to the point of atheism, they maintained that there was not enough proof for the existence of a deity. The elves were vegetarians, believing that all forms of life should be respected. They would not have killed anything after being inside it's mind and knowing what it felt like for it to be alive. They also had a great love of nature, evidenced by their architecture. Elves did not practice marriage, but took mates for as long as they wanted, resulting in many short partnerships. This was also the result of the elves' ability to hold grudges for decades at a time although they did not tend to hold grudges knowing that they could be kept for a millennium. This meant that elven children were rare and cherished. At the time of Eragon's training with Oromis there were only two in Ellesméra. Realtionships between Humans and elves were rare, due to the different species, culture and the life span of both races. Christopher Paolini has stated in a recent interview that half-human, half-elfen offspring were not immortal like their elf parent. Instead, they had long lives and most weren't able to have children of their own. Notable elves *Eragon I, the first Dragon Rider *Oromis, the last Rider of eld, tutor of Eragon Shadeslayer *Arya, the ambassador of Islanzadí and second to the throne of Ellesméra. *Islanzadí, current queen of Du Weldenvarden and Arya's mother. *Evandar, deceased king of Du Weldenvarden and Arya's father. *Vanir, Eragon's sparring partner *Rhunön, the most skilled sword smith in Alagaësia *Blödhgarm, leader of the twelve elves sent to guard Eragon Bromsson. Effects of the Dragon Rider bond While it is at first assumed that elves always looked as they did, after his transformation by the Dragon Spirit during the Blood-Oath Celebration, Eragon acquires an elf-like appearance and their abilities as well. This suggests that much of the power and 'beauty' of the elves is related to their pact with the dragons, as otherwise, Eragon would not have been able to gain abilities like theirs from the dragons alone. Real-world connections Many fans dislike the elves, saying they are too noble or too traditional to sympathize with. Also, their arrogant attitude towards religion have upset many religious readers, including some Atheist ones, because many believe the elves' excuse for atheism only serves as a mouthpiece of Christopher Paolini's views. Some fans, however, would love to be an elf, regardless of the sacrifices. Some fans speculate that they used to be humble and ate meat and they lost their humility after they learned the art of magic and their taste for meat after the Du Fyrn Skulblaka war. However, many fans think that humans also were humble until the Shur'tugal leader convinced the elf queen to let humans in. In Eragon, Brom mentioned that elves arrived in silver ships, strong and proud in their elemental glory, pointing to the fact that elves might never have been humbled as a race, and the have especially not been humbled as individuals. Much of the elves' culture contain Japanese overtones, especially their language and practices, along with some elements of Shinto and Buddhist traditions, such as a respect for nature and all life. es:Elfo Category:Species Category:Elves Category:Magic users